Professor Cornel West Lecture Five: American Allegro Molto Vivace

Prof. Cornel West delivers the 2024 Gifford Lecture Series at the University of Edinburgh, titled ‘A Jazz-soaked Philosophy for our Catastrophic Times: From Socrates to Coltrane’. This is the fifth of six lectures, titled ‘America Allegro Molto Vivace’.
In this lecture, Prof. West argues that the two great philosophically-inclined artists in early twentieth-century America were T.S. Eliot and Eugene O’Neill. Eugene O’Neill’s 49 plays constitute the greatest literary exploration of the cultural and spiritual dynamics of the American empire. Eliot’s work, especially his poems and criticism from 1917-1942, explored the end of the age of Europe with its wars, loveless creatures, hollow men, mindless barbarity, and devastated wastelands. As Prof. West discusses in response to O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh and Eliot’s Four Quartets, both writers understood the profound human tragedy of their times, but, trapped within a waning civilisation, neither artist could find a way out.
Prof. West is the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Philosophy & Christian Practice, Union Theological Seminary, New York. His teaching and publications focus on roles of race, gender, and class struggle in American society, synthesizing influences from Christianity, the Black Church, democratic socialism, left-wing populism, neopragmatism and transcendentalism. A musician and spoken word artist, Prof. West has collaborated with acts across the rap, hip-hop and funk genres, as well as appearing in the Matrix series and many documentary films.
The prestigious Gifford Lectureships, held at the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and St Andrews, have been delivered annually since 1888 by a succession of distinguished international scholars. The Lectureships were established by Adam Lord Gifford (1820-1887) to ‘promote and diffuse the study of Natural Theology in the widest sense of the term - in other words, the knowledge of God’, and have enabled a most notable field of scholars to contribute to the advancement of theological thought.
Find out more about the Gifford Lectures: www.ed.ac.uk/arts-humanities-...
Gifford Lectures blog: blogs.ed.ac.uk/gifford-lectures/
Please note that the captions have been automatically generated.

Пікірлер: 32

  • @cubannel12
    @cubannel1220 күн бұрын

    We have had many Presidential elected characters that have been put in position of power over the people in U.S. history. Too few actually put the need of the people over financial greed and corporate oppression. Having had those things run out of control to the point of leaving the American people in depression and distress. It would be my hope and prayer that We the people would be blessed to have Cornel West as our President in 2024.

  • @akpanekpo6025

    @akpanekpo6025

    18 күн бұрын

    I did share your sentiments for a few seconds until it occurred to me that people like him have no business in politics. Our world needs people with his kind of humanity, intellectual brilliance and moral consistency.

  • @cubannel12

    @cubannel12

    18 күн бұрын

    @@akpanekpo6025 true. Normally he would not be running for President but being that he is the best possible chance we have to help the people of this country and the world. He is willing to sacrifice his personal life for the sake of humanity. Cornel West for President in 2024 because Progressives never give up,never surrender.

  • @eliasmeasho117

    @eliasmeasho117

    8 күн бұрын

    Zwcw

  • @clumsydad7158
    @clumsydad715820 күн бұрын

    towering intellectual and spiritual thinker, integrated into history and humility ... wonderful, and thanks for your excellent video/audio rendition

  • @joecho1427

    @joecho1427

    18 күн бұрын

    😂

  • @elisabethzweig4238
    @elisabethzweig423820 күн бұрын

    What a great mind ❤ Thank you Professor Cornel West for another wonderful inspiring lecture.

  • @samuelweah272
    @samuelweah27212 күн бұрын

    Thank you Dr west I can't stop listening to your lectures I wish you to be honest, courage president for our time may God bless you and your lovely wife

  • @Rickelsonnih
    @Rickelsonnih18 күн бұрын

    Just outstanding, a personification; a resurrection, of the epitome of a consummation of Western thought, and a pragmatic sensabilty of re-introducing the best of our traditions to ourselves--as U.S. President would be transformational.

  • @JosephDuvernay
    @JosephDuvernay17 күн бұрын

    And Yes! So wonderful. Thank you Sir et al.

  • @J0hnC0ltrane
    @J0hnC0ltrane18 күн бұрын

    I hope that you will be releasing that sixth lecture. Thank you for this series.

  • @user-ks7bb8xx1d
    @user-ks7bb8xx1d18 күн бұрын

    Book to read: The American evasion of philosophy Book by Cornel West (1989)

  • @FreshTake01
    @FreshTake0116 күн бұрын

    Americas voice of reason: Brother West.

  • @joecolleenjenkins3462
    @joecolleenjenkins346216 күн бұрын

    food for thought - thank you DR WEST

  • @pleaseleavemealoneandgoheal
    @pleaseleavemealoneandgoheal20 күн бұрын

    💯👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽💯

  • @user-kk2br3xl2m
    @user-kk2br3xl2m8 күн бұрын

    Cant understand his metaphoric expression of words..is he reading poem?

  • @luvuyomakalima1676

    @luvuyomakalima1676

    8 күн бұрын

    I guess you don't understand 60s avant-garde jazz either. Because, West as an Afro-American rhetorician speaks from that jazz tradition. And, of course you would also have to understand much of the philosophy and theology references that he is making.

  • @troybody6662
    @troybody666216 күн бұрын

    He's just a wind bag. Just regurgitation of giant words, but no answers, especially no answers for the Black man.

  • @andreselectrico

    @andreselectrico

    15 күн бұрын

    I used to have the same complaint for all philosophers. Until I understood that they are not supposed to do our job as autonomous individuals.

  • @troybody6662

    @troybody6662

    14 күн бұрын

    @@andreselectrico This philosopher is a Black man who should be well aware that he will never be president (especially after Obama who he criticized). Professor Cornell was asked to bring up Cop City, every chance he gets. He said that he would, but has not. He said (out of his own mouth) that this is not the time to discuss reparations. Black people want reparations and an anti-hate crime bill for Black people. He has not mentioned either. He rails on about Palestine whom I support, but there are Jews here in America who are already protesting: "Not in our name."

  • @Terry2377

    @Terry2377

    12 күн бұрын

    I had only a very quickly at each of his lectures. Yes, too many names as if he is supposed to show us that he has read and digested all of them. A good actor, no doubt. Not sure of his substance.

  • @glennmorris8787

    @glennmorris8787

    3 күн бұрын

    You are clueless

  • @andreselectrico

    @andreselectrico

    3 күн бұрын

    @@glennmorris8787 Fully agree.

  • @manlikeJoe1010
    @manlikeJoe101018 күн бұрын

    Lost a lot of respect for him after some of his comments during the height of the BLM madness in 2020.

  • @joecho1427
    @joecho142718 күн бұрын

    Is he comedian?

  • @Yoga_Lite

    @Yoga_Lite

    18 күн бұрын

    No, just a great sense of humor

  • @andreselectrico

    @andreselectrico

    15 күн бұрын

    He's certainly funny, which is something many seem to appreciate, including me. But, what's the relation of your question with the subject under discussion? Or, alternatively, have you an issue with his being funny?

  • @James-ll3jb
    @James-ll3jb12 күн бұрын

    This guy is an establishment cryptofascist

  • @cropframe
    @cropframe14 күн бұрын

    what a clown

  • @anthonysisay1557

    @anthonysisay1557

    3 күн бұрын

    What you cannot do you criticize, how interesting!